1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with compounds, compositions and methods useful for reducing, inhibiting, or preventing depression in human beings. In particular, compounds of benzodioxane substituted in the 2-position with substituents containing imidazole are thus useful.
2. Prior Art
A large number of compounds, in which the 1,4-benzodioxane system is substituted at the 2-position by a side chain containing nitrogen have been prepared, and shown to be active either in the central nervous system and/or the cardiovascular system. There appears to be no standard assay system for discriminating among the various types of effects of compounds on these target tissues; therefore the prior art is often non-specific as to the exact mode of action of the compounds tested. However, a variety of compounds having the general formula ##STR2##
where X contains nitrogen in fairly close proximity to the ring are physiologically active. None is entirely satisfactory as an antidepressant. Those preparations closest in structure to the present invention are described in South African Patent 64/622, Canadian Pat. No. 731,147, Belgian Pat. Nos. 643,853 and 837,386, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,979,511, 3,360,529, 3,829,441, 3,944,549 and 3,959,283 British Pat. Nos. 1,051,143 and 1,094,982, Japanese Pat. Nos. 54/103,893, 55/015,456 and 55/015,455, and Dutch Pat. No. 730,718.